With a tie at Kansas City Stadium Saturday night, Lawrence and Algeria’s lovefest got a lifeline.
The World Cup showdown between the Desert Foxes, based in the Kansas college town for the tournament, and Austria was a cold-and-hot and cold-and-hot-again battle to 3-3. But it secured a place for both teams in the Round of 32.
Throughout the night, FIFA Fan Festival in midtown brought together a mix of fans, but Colombian yellow was a predominant color for much of it — the South American squad faced Portugal earlier in the evening.
“Believe it or not, I think there is a lot of Colombians across the Midwest,” said Matt Perez. “You have Colombians from a large community from Wichita, Omaha, and I think this is the closest spot — it’s a perfect location.”
With a draw on Saturday afternoon, the Colombian squad will head to Kansas City Stadium to play Ghana on Friday, July 3.
During the 9 o’clock slot, the main screens at Liberty Memorial showed Argentina facing off against Jordan, while the Algeria-Austria match played out on a side screen with no sound.
“It’s OK,” said Sofiane Hamchaoui, who took in the game from Fan Festival with wife, Linda Saci, and kids. “Of course we are happy.”
“It's really amazing to see the World Cup,” Saci said. “Like, (it) put all people together just to share this moment, so it's very, very important, this high.”
Algerians at the game showed their appreciation with a banner reading, "Thank you Lawrence," which was draped behind one of the goals.
‘We want you here’
In Lawrence, where the North African squad is based for the tournament, the city’s embrace of all things Algeria continued.
Earlier in the day, University of Kansas soccer coach Nate Lie met with president of the Algerian Football Federation, Walid Sadi, and presented him with a Jayhawks jersey.
Hours before kickoff, people began to pack Massachusetts Street at the Vive en Masse Soccer Celebration and Watch Party for food, drinks and fun. The celebration brought together friends and their families, and the space allowed people to meet and play with new friends.
Before the bulk of the crowd arrived, a steady stream of fans with lawn chairs in tow moved as close to the screen as they could, trying to grab an early seat. Diners got a bite to eat while the indoor market at The Granada welcomed shoppers with a lineup of T-shirts, jewelry and other trinkets. The crowd was festooned in Algeria jerseys, proclaiming their love for the Fennecs.
“I hope we get to host it every four years. I hope all of these people from all over the world come to our towns every four years,” said Kansas City resident Mollie McAuley. “Everybody is excited, and I am super into Algeria — which I had to look up on a map. I mean, I knew it was in Africa, but I had to look it up on the map. That's embarrassing!”
Like so many others, McAuley said she’s been inspired by the Algeria-Lawrence affection over the last couple weeks.
“Watching all of the people from outside of this country coming in and realizing we aren't what you see on the national stage. We are not that we are kind, we are welcoming, we want you here, we're excited for you to be here,” McAuley said.
Algerian brothers Hannafi Abbas and Benali Abbas drove from Minneapolis, where they live, to Lawrence to show their support for the national team. The pair were eager to see revenge for a 1982 result known as "the Disgrace of Gijon."
“We’re gonna party all night,” Benali Abbas said. “I'm telling you, Algerians don’t want to sleep tonight.”
To get any rest at the end of this day, fans would first have to recover from the game's dramatic, yet anticlimactic, finish. Moments after an extra-time goal put Algeria in the lead, Austria struck back with a header to tie.
As the last ticks of the clock ran off in Kansas City Stadium, about 2,000 fans in the viewing area at 11th and Massachusetts street roared and nearly everyone rose to their feet. While some shed tears of joy, cheers of "one, two, three, viva l'Algerie,” filled the air.
The celebration continued long after the match ended. At an after-game party at the live venue and bar Lucia, locals and visitors hollered over the score, overjoyed that Algeria gets to play another round.
"We are so proud of them, and I'm happy of Lawrence," said Algerian Ryadh Abbals, as the crowd took to the streets to dance in celebration. "I wish them all the best. And I wish they can reach the maximum levels — and why not the final?"
Algeria's 3-3 draw with Austria sends them to Vancouver to play Thursday, July 2, against Switzerland in the Round of 32. The game is scheduled for 10 p.m., and a Score Lawrence official said late Saturday that organizers are prepared to activate again.
So, while the next official downtown watch party is Wednesday, July 1, for Team USA’s Round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lawrence resident Alexis Littrell said she’s planning to attend Algeria's next watch party because of the excitement and community camaraderie on display.
“This is the best of what Lawrence is,” said Littrell, a learning and development professional. “This is the best part of living here.”
Frank Morris, Steve Bien-Aimé and Patricia Gaston contributed to this report.
